CLASS: Approaching the Hive
Once you have basic knowledge about bees and beekeeping under your belt, you’re ready to get down and dirty (and maybe a little sticky) with a real hive inspection! These practical in-hive sessions are designed to show you the process of inspecting a hive, from lighting your smoker, to proper maneuvering of frames, identifying brood stages and resources, spotting your queen, and more! We will also discuss minimizing risk in hive inspections and pests and diseases to keep an eye on.
Each session is 2-and-a-half hours long and is heavily dependent on cooperative weather. We recommend coming equipped with your own personal protective gear, but we will also have some suits, jackets, veils, and gloves available to borrow in limited sizes, or you can purchase your own.
This class is intended for those wanting to start beekeeping, and not as a tourist experience. Completion of All About Bees and Ins and Outs of Beekeeping (or equivalent bee school) classes is required prior to signing up for this class. We will follow-up with you after your purchase of this class to be sure you have this experience! PROTECTIVE GEAR HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. You will be inspecting real, live, active honeybee hives. Do not wear open-toed shoes.
This course is included in the Beginner Beekeeping Courses bundle, or may be taken separately. After August, Approaching the Hive will resume in Spring 2026 when the weather has warmed back up.
An added perk: Class attendees will also receive a 10% off coupon on one piece of protective gear, including jackets and suits, on our website and in-store (restrictions apply).
Purchasing as a gift: If you're purchasing this class as a gift, please select the Gift Option. We'll reach out to send you a certificate that the recipient can redeem for any future Beginner Beekeeping class!
About Honey & the Hive's payment tiers: To increase access to our classes and the knowledge they provide, we've decided to implement a tiered payment system for all our classes moving forward. Please pay at the level that works best with your budget! You will receive the same education regardless of which tier you pay at.
When you place an order, we will ESTIMATE shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.
Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.
PLEASE NOTE THAT SHIPPING IS AN ESTIMATE, AND WE MAY CONTACT YOU WITH AN UPDATED PRICE AS WE PROCESS YOUR ORDER. This does not apply to orders being picked up in the store.